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The film festivals of New England are no last resorts

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Hanging with The Hurt Locker

HURT'S SO GOOD: Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker dominated the BSFC awards, and the film's star, Jeremy Renner, was in attendance.

Overall, his Iraq War drama won an unprecedented five awards from the BSFC, including Best Picture. All the film's winners, including director Kathyrn Bigelow, e-mailed in statements to be read to the sold-out audience. The Phoenix was the exclusive sponsor of the evening.

Citations were also presented to David Bramante of the Stuart Street Playhouse and the Harvard Film Archive for creative programming, and to Phoenix critic Gerry Peary and Amy Geller for their documentary For the Love of Movies. Julia Child's niece, Philadelphia Cousins, accepted the Best Actress award on behalf of Meryl Streep (for Julie & Julia). Streep also sent along an autographed Julia Child cookbook, which was raffled off with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Partners in Health and the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

There was a moment of silence for Karen Schmeer, Errol Morris's long-time film editor who was struck and killed last week in New York by a car fleeing a robbery. She was friends with many BSFC members, and there was a reading from critic Peter Keough's eloquent remembrance in last week's Phoenix.

But the evening belonged to Renner, who was cool and engaging as he sipped whiskey during the Q&A following a screening of The Hurt Locker. He thanked Bigelow for giving him the opportunity, and cited the BSFC with spearheading the groundswell of acclaim that propelled the film from a limited "four theater" release to an Academy Award contender.

When asked if he was going to win the golden baldie in March, Renner took in his recognition from the evening and said slyly, "I already have."